The following abbreviations are herewith defined, at least some of which are referred to within the following description.
3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project
ANDSF Access Network Discovery and Selection Function
AP Access Point
APN Access Point Name
DL Downlink
eNB Evolved Node B
EPC Evolved Packet Core
ET SI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
HPLMN Home Public Land Mobile Network
TARP Inter-APN routing policy
IP Internet Protocol
ISRP Inter-System Routing Policy
LAN Local Area Network
LTE Long Term Evolution
LWA Long Term Evolution Wireless Local Area Network Aggregation
LWIP Long Term Evolution Wireless Local Area Aggregation with IPsec tunneling
[This is a 3rd type of steering command that can be send to the UE. The method disclosed applies to LWA commands, RCLWI command and LWIP commands.]
MCC Mobile Country Code
MNC Mobile Network Code
NBIFOM Network-Based IP Flow Mobility
NSWO Non-Seamless WLAN Offload
OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
PDN Packet Data Network
PGW Packet Data Network Gateway
PLMN Public Land Mobile Network
RAN Radio Access Network
RCLWI Radio Access Network Controlled LTE-WLAN Interworking
SC-FDMA Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access
UDP User Datagram Protocol
UE User Entity/Equipment (Mobile Terminal)
UL Uplink
VPLMN Visited Public Land Mobile Network
WAN Wide Area Network
WLAN Wireless Local Area Network
WLANSP Wireless Local Area Network Selection Policy
WiMAX Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
In wireless communications networks, user equipment (“UE”) are often capable of communicating with a public land mobile network (“PLMN”) both over a cellular radio access network that utilizes licensed spectrum and a wireless local area network (“WLAN”) that utilizes unlicensed spectrum. The UE may select a WLAN using various procedures. For example, the UE may select a WLAN based on user preference for user input. As another example, the UE may select a WLAN using access network discovery and selection function (“ANDSF”) rules received from the PLMN. In another example, the UE may select a WLAN in response to receiving a network command, such as a LTE-WLAN aggregation (“LWA”) command, a RAN controlled LTE-WLAN interworking (“RCLWI”) command, or the like.
However, the various WLAN selection procedures may conflict with one another, resulting in the frequent WLAN re-selection. Current rules for ANDSF and LWA coexistence are very inefficient because they restrict the UE to use either ANDSF procedures or LWA procedures within the same PLMN. These rules prevent the UE from using ANDSF procedures and some PLMN areas and LWA procedures and other PLMN areas. Because the LWA feature is expected to be deployed only in certain strategic areas of the PLMN, current ANDSF and LWA coexistence rules are highly inefficient.
For example, if the UE has established one or more data sessions with non-seamless WLAN offload (“NSWO”) and the UE accepts a LWA command, the established data sessions will be interrupted because the traffic can be delivered directly to WLAN. Thus, the applications associated with these data sessions need to detect the interruption and reestablish the data sessions (e.g., over 3GPP LTE access).
As another example, if the UE has established a multi-access packet data network (“PDN”) connection, such as a network-based IP flow mobility (“NBIFOM”) connection, and the UE accepts the LWA command, the no traffic for this PDN connection can further be routed via WLAN based on the NBIFOM routing rules. If the PDN connection operates in the UE-initiated mode, then the UE will be unable to apply its IP flow mobility rules for traffic stirring. If the PDN connection operates in network-initiated mode, then the UE will be unable to apply the routing rules provided by the network. Traffic of the multi-access PDN connection would only be routed via 3GPP access.
In another example, if the UE has established a PDN connection over WLAN in the UE accepts the LWA command, the number traffic can be routed on this PDN connection because no traffic can be delivered directly to the WLAN. Although the UE may successfully hand over the PDN connection to 3GPP access, this handover may cause a long interruption (e.g., due to WLAN release, WLAN scanning, and WLAN reconnection) that may adversely impact real-time data sessions, such as calls over WLAN, leading to negative user experience.